Analysis of the opening titles in seven

When analysing the opening titles of Seven, there is a mixture of titles on a black background and moving image. The font of the titles is white and looks like hand writing. This is in-keeping with the horror genre as the handwriting looks creepy and links to the narrative behind the titles where a character is looking through an old book and remove some of their skin with a razor blade. I like the combination of the titles fading to a black background and the moving image of the opening. We could consider using this combination in our opening two minutes. It is important to consider the colour of the font and whether it would stand out against the background. In seven it was effective to use white font and a black  background, however if we use white titles we need to make sure it stands out on the moving image. Seven split the screen and included moving image with a black corner where the titles were placed; this was effective and ensured that the titles stood out. However this might be hard to create and we would need to practise creating this on Adobe premier elements.

Diary of filming

The setting we used to open our film was a group of people camping out in the woods with a long shot moving 180 degrees slowly, giving the real life home camera effect. Unfortunately we didn't have the camping equipment, so we will have to go and re-record some of the shots to get the best quality of filming we can. We took some shots of the man following the campers hiding in the bush's and behind tree's. We didn't show the mans face so his identity is hidden.

Filming
we started filming on Monday 1st of December 2014 and it took us about two weeks to complete the filming. we filmed in a woods near our school.
Monday 1st 
The first day we went out to film we went to the back of the school field by the woods, we had to find a suitable place to film which we found.
Tuesday 2nd
The next day we went to Ashtead common to find a place to film, but we couldn't find a suitable place so we decided that we were going to film in the woods at the back of the school.
Wednesday 3rd
The third day is when we first time we shot a scene. Using the camera took some time to get used to but we eventually got the hang of it.
Thursday 4th
On Thursday we were not able to film due to the weather conditions.
Friday 5th 
We went back on Friday and were able to shoot more scenes. we filmed the part when the two campers are getting watched by the villain but they do not know they are being watched yet.
Saturday 6th
Did not film
Sunday 7th
Did not film
Monday 8th
On Monday we all got together and discussed how we were going to go about filming the scenes we need. we filmed the part where the campers realise that they are being watched. The campers then see the killer. Filming on this day went well as we got all the shots and scenes.
Tuesday 9th
On Tuesday we finished off our last scene where the killer has a fight with on of that campers and manages to kill on of them, but the other camper makes it to safety by running for his life.
Wednesday 10th 
On Wednesday we had to go back out to the woods and re-film the first scene where we first meet the two campers. we had to re-film this as the filming was very unsteady.
Thursday 11th
we finished filming on thursday and moved all the clips onto the computer

Script

Script

The opening will start with a long shot of the train coming into the station, 2 teenagers get off a train with camping equipment, they walk along the platform and maker there way to Ashtead common. The teenagers slowly walk through the woods and find a spot to set up there camping equipment. Then there will be dialogue between the characters telling each other to put up the tent etc. When they are midway setting up the tent it is getting dark and a man out of nowhere appears and he shouts at the teenagers, then starts running at them, the teenagers quickly begin to run down a dark, narrow pathway through the woods  where we will have a long shot of the pathway and a high angle shot of the chase. the chase will be shot for about 10-15 seconds and then the opening will end to set up a cliff-hanger. 

Certificate research

 The U symbol stands for Universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child, especially at this lower end of the category range.

PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.

      

The 12A requires an adult to accompany any child under 12 seeing a 12A film at the cinema. This is enforced by cinema staff and a cinema may lose its license if adult accompaniment is not enforced for children under 12 admitted to a 12A film. Accompanied viewing cannot be enforced in the home, so the 12 certificate remains for DVD/Blu-ray, rather than the 12A. The 12 is also a simpler system for retailers. It means they cannot sell or rent the item unless the customer is over the age of 12.

No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age. This is the rating we will want our film to be as our target audience is for people aged 15+. If our film was as 18 most of audience would not be able to watch it in the cinemas, as from our target audience research the age that most likes to watch horror movies are the 15,16 and 17 year old's.

Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy or rent an 18 rated video. No 18 rated works are suitable for children.

Influences on our production

The influences on our production would be films such as the cabin in the woods as they are set in dark spaces with barely any light which is what we want to do. The film director who is drew Goddard, hes made well produced films such as world war z which was a very good film and set it out well with shots and scenes.

Moodboard

 
                                                                     

                                                                                                       

                                                                        

The pictures of the woods and the dark forest symbolise the setting and time of day we are planning to shoot our film.  The pile of sticks will be used in our film as props they could be used as a weapon or tool in situations such as building a camp fire or the initial counter with the villain. The station is relevant as this is where the characters will get off the train to go camping. The camping equipment is what the characters will be taking with them on the camping trip.

The Dark Knight Bank Robbery Scene HD

The dark night bank robbery scene opens with a long shot moving closer towards a building in the city of Gotham. There is a sudden smash of glass from the building with a character masked hiding his identity, we don't see the actual persons face as he doesn't stand out as a significant character in this film. The two characters in the building zip wire across the streets over head at around 500 foot high in the sky. The shots to show this are high angle shots to show the surroundings and where they are. There is an over the shoulder shot of a clown character; this could mean he is more significant than the other two in the front as he is loading a gun. This would mean he is some sort of leader and the more dominant character. You still see the character in the back when the camera changes to the front two in the driving seats, this would mean he is the leader of this robbery which is about to happen and is calling the shots. There is Digetic sound in this such as the car engine and the loading of the gun. The non-Digetic sounds are heard int he back ground music which sounds like its motivating the characters to rob the bank. When the robbers reach the safe there is a 180 degree movement shot which focuses on the safe There is more Digetic sounds when the man in the office shots his shotgun through the window killing a robber and when he hits the floor of the bank. The shots in the bank scene are very flashy (fast shots different types) Such as long shots of the characters running towards the camera, which gives the effect that he has no where to go and he will be caught.

Shot list

The shots and camera angles we will be using in our film will vary in different parts of the film. We will use close up shots to focus on the character close up to see their facial expressions and to show what they are feeling in this scene. We will use long shots to show the movement of characters focusing on the campers in the person following them as his own view. Also we may include 180 degrees shots and camera shots which follow the characters when running from this man following the two campers. Other shots would be an extreme close up shot possibly when the man catches the two people of the people on the floor. We may also use high angle shots to show the scene over head to give it a more realistic feeling. We can also use the over the shoulder shot when the person following them is looking at them from behind, this would build up tension and create an enigma code as the audience will want to know what the man will do to the protagonist. the close up shot will be used to show the facial expressions of the characters when they are scared this is a typical convention of a horror film that the audience will recognize. we will also use a high angle shot when the characters are walking through the woods this would show that they are vulnerable.

Research and Planning Targets

You need to be aiming to achieve a band four in this task - which equates to more than 16 marks out of 20. At the moment there is a lot more independent work needed to be done to achieve the grade you are capable of - so push yourself! Analyse the techinical elements of the following film openings and revist my emails to extend your work this termm. In your planning for your film, which needs to have been planned and filmed by the end of term, make sure you are evidencing every stage in detail. Delegate responsibilities to manage your time. G321 needs to be your priority between now and the end of term and there needs to be a real focus from now for you, and for your group.

Drag Me To Hell (2009) - Opening

This opening scene opens with a long shot of the house which could be represented as significant in this film. There are many close shots in this film which show the father and mother of the son who is a possessed child. Their appearance represent them as a typical villager in the town or outside town. The lighting on the characters shown are low key lighting. During the scene

Settings

Settings

The location for our opening 2 minutes will be Ashtead Common because it is an open space where the group of teenagers could camp. There is also a wooded area where the villain could hide away. It would be a recognisable setting to the audience as it follows the conventions of the horror genre. There will be diegetic sounds in the common such as the wind, trees rustling and birds which will provide an eerie atmosphere which can create tension in our opening 2 minute film. The mise-en-scene will feature an open space with camping equipment and the teenagers in a group hanging out; the lighting will be created by the sun setting and torches used by the characters. Also the mise-en-scene will feature the teenagers walking and looking amongst the forest and trees trying to find the missing person. Ashtead common is an ideal setting for this as it has a mixture of open spaces and wooded areas. we need to be careful when filming the scenes as we want to create an eerie atmosphere but we need enough lighting to see the action and the characters. Therefore we need to ensure that we film during dusk so that we get enough natural sunlight.

Character list

The Characters in our Opening Two Minutes


The different characters and age groups we will be using will be 16+ as this is the age of general teenagers and they can relate to the characters due to the same age. There will be mainly only boys as we don't know what girl would get involved in our film, we don't have a girl in our group this is also why. There would be two people camping out and one filming, whilst a weird man (one of us) is lurking in the woods. The guy lurking in the woods will be in dark clothing creeping around barely visible to the camera. The two campers can be in normal clothing doing as they wish. The audience will relate the characters by either being the same age, which would make them be able to relate. The costume and props which will be used for the characters will have will be hooded clothing (dark) for the guy creeping in the woods so this hides his identity. The props needed in this film will be camping equipment due to the two people acting out setting up camp to stay the night.

Mise-en-scene

MISE-EN-SCENE

Mise en scène encompasses the most recognizable attributes of a film – the setting and the actors; it includes costumes and make-up, props, and all the other natural and artificial details that characterize the spaces filmed. In other words, mise-en-scène describes the stuff in the frame and the way it is shown and arranged.  We have organized this page according to four general areas: setting, lighting, costume and staging. The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, meaning roughly “put into the scene”. At the end we have also included some special effects that are closely related to mise-en-scène.

Top Gun legendary opening scene and credits

Top gun opens with slow motion movement of men walking on an airfield, there are shots of air craft moving into position to take off. You can not see the characters appearance or face due to the dark lighting, this could mean they are either too important too see or not a significant character in this film. The light changes when the planes are taking off, you see the flight instructors when the plane engine turns on, the camera focuses on his face for a second and switches to flicking images of planes moving around and flight instructors ordering the planes where to go. There are many long shots and close up shots of the pilots faces, these would represent them as important in this film and a main part in the flight process. There is many non-Diegetic and Diegetic sounds in this opening, for example at the start of the film there is music in the background, themed like Vietnam army music. There is non-diegetic sounds such as the planes and the sound of the engine turning on. The lighting comes from dark to light which could mean the producer wants you to focus on what you can see first, then adjust to the surroundings. There is a combat scene later in the film which is very chaotic there are many long shots of the planes and close up shots of the machine guns shooting. There are close up shots of the navy men in the ship reporting back to the pilot. There's another close up shot of the rockets being shot then followed until the enemies plane has been shot.

children of men opening

The opening to this scene shows a group of people staring into the sky, you can not tell what they are looking at until a man walks in, this would mean he is more important in this scene as he is the focus of attention. As he is a lot bolder and stands out more he is noticed straight away. The camera shots which are shown in the opening are medium shots of this group of people focusing on the TV. The Camera follows the character in and out, he glances towards to TV in the café and the Camera is aimed towards it, this could suggest this story on the news is part of the film as it has some significance if they were to show it. When the man leaves the café the camera follows him from behind until he puts him coffee on a stand and spikes it with alcohol, this could suggest that he is an alcoholic. The mise-en-scene in this shows that the lighting is very dark suggesting that this is a very run down around in the centre of London. Also the characters appearance represent him as quite mysterious as he has a very long coat which covers most of himself. At the end of this opening an explosion happens, which is un-explained, a woman comes walking out injured and looking around in despair. The shots used when this camera is turn 180 degree round focus more on the background than the man, this is why we were more surprised when we saw the explosion and the woman walking out near to death. The sound used in this film are diegetic and non-diegetic, for example the explosion at the end causes a bang, this would be diegetic sound. A non-diegetic sound would be the music in the background setting the setting which is around the area.

Research Feedback

Revisit the email you received to your student account before half-term. You need to evidence further evidence of research in order to achieve your target grade. Lots of areas of study from this term have not been addressed in your blogging.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLeix0ZYSCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JfS90u-1g8

Props for film

We are going to need to use camping equipment for our props, as this will be a main part of our short film. We are using this to set up a camp site and be attacked by a mental person from our school that we barely speak to. We will need these items to set the setting as we will be in a woods at night or at dusk. The tent is used to show where the characters will stay, this is a typical prop which horror films use in these kind of films. The audience will be able to relate to the camping equipment as teenagers often go camping, also tension can be created through the camp scene as the teenagers are vulnerable to their surroundings in the environments.

Questionnaire

what is your name?
Josh
Jordan
Will
James




How old are you?
17
17
16
16


do you like horror films?
yes
No
yes
no


if so why do you like them?
give you a cheap sense of thrill and excitement

Thrilling and tension



what do you expect from a horror opening?
familiarized with the scene and the main characters
Someone dying
scary atmosphere

What is your favorite horror film?
Insidious
Paranormal activity 3
Cabin in the woods



Where do you expect a horror film to be set?
Woods, City, Countryside 
Abandoned building or woods
Cabin in the woods
haunted house




What do you expect a villain in a horror film to look like?
dark and scary, supernatural
has a mask on with a chainsaw
covered face, dark




What do you think the victim should look like?
innocent, young, vulnerable 
innocent, dumb



What is your favorite horror opening?
Cabin in the woods
Cungering
Saw

Target audience profile research

	Age:	%:	Gender:	%:	Class	%:

	4-6	0%	Male:	67%	AB	30%

	7-11	0%	Female:	33%	C1	29%

	12-14	0%			C2	23%

	15-24	42%			DE	18%

	25-34	22%

	35-44	21%

	45+	15%

I found these statistics on the pearl and dean website which shows me the gender, ages and class of people who went to watch this film. The typical audience of horror films are male gender at 67% due to male being more confident and less scared to watch horror films. the main ages which went to watch saw were 15-24 as the target audience was aimed at these type of people due to the release date of the film. Also more teenagers enjoy watching scary films. this shows that horror audiences include men and woman, however men may take more of an interest in horror movies as they are more known to get a thrill or an adrenalin rush when watching films. This research was to find out who enjoys horror films the most and what age, gender or class enjoys horror films.


Saw

Released:	1st October 2004
Genre:	Horror, Thriller
Price:	D
Estimated box office:	£2,500,000
Director:	James Wan
Film cast:	Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Leigh Whannell, Monica Potter
Certificate:	18
Distributor:	Entertainment
The Story:	When Adam (Leigh Whannell) is jolted back to consciousness after nearly drowning at the bottom of a filthy bathtub, he finds himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a dark torture chamber. There is someone else in the room. Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) has also just regained consciousness and is chained to the opposite side of the space. Between them, a man is lying in a pool of blood after apparently shooting himself in the head with the pistol in his hand. Adam and Dr. Gordon piece together the clues left behind by the deranged criminal mind that has brought them together and finally realize that they, too, must make a seemingly impossible set of choices for their lives. Debuted at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.